Flags flew at half-staff in Bridgeport Friday in memory of a beloved local basketball coach.

Many say that Bernie Lofton was more than a basketball coach at Bassick High School - he was a man on a mission to help kids stay in school and on the right path.

"It's all positive" was a rallying cry he would bring on the court and off, leading the high school athletes to multiple championships during his four-plus decades - first as assistant coach, then as coach.

News 12 Connecticut spoke to the beloved father, grandfather and community icon on many occasions over the years.

The 65-year-old basketball coach, who was also a security guard at Curiale School, graduated from Bassick High in 1977.

Lofton worked with another Bridgeport icon - former NBA star Walter Luckett - as part of Luckett's nonprofit "From Books to Basketball Program."